Electric switch.



H. N. ALTER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLIcMmN man MAR.13,1914. RENEwED JAN. 17.1917.

1,21 8,037 Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

UNITED* SME Y HARRY N. ALTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINGIS.

ELnormc swrrcn.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led March 13, 1914, Serial IioA 824,515. Renewed January 17, 1917-. Serial No. 142,967.

` vention is to provide a switch of the kind referred to which will be rugged and economi- -cal in construction and convenient and efii-l cient in operation.

' Other objects will be set forth andmade apparent in the following specification of which the accompanying `drawings form a part. In the drawings;

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my improved switch; Fig. 2 shows a vertical section through the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 3 shows a top plan view of the same with the cap and other parts removed;

Fig. 4 shows a top plan view of the hinding post and contact plate in operative relation to each other;

Fig. 5 shows a toppplan View of the connecting plate; and

Fig. 6 shows a perspective View of the operating shaft.

Like numerals refer to like parts and elements in the several figures vof the drawings, in which the numeral 10 designates an insulating block comprising the base plate 11 and the annular wall 12. The portion 11 has aperturesl therethrough through which screws or the like may be passed to attach the insulating block to a wall or other structure. Additional holes 14 are provided in the ortion 11 through which the electrical con uctor's are led to the interior of the insulating block. A hub 15 is formed on the upper side of the portion 11 at the center thereof and around said huh are four up-l wardly inclined arcuate surfaces 16. Each Aportion having the upwardly inclined sure face 16 terminates adjacent the heginning, of the next following upwardly inclined surface in a shoulder 16a.

. 19 formediin the hase portion 11 of the insulating block 10 where it is engaged hy a screw 20 and4 heid rigidly inposition with reference to said block. Each binding post 17 forms an electrical connection within the depression 19 with a contact plate 21. contact plates 21 project inwardly and seat upon two diametrically opposite inclined surfaces 16. An operating shaft 22 is mounted in the vhuh 15 and retained in position by having its lower end extending through a washer 23, within a depression 24 in the portion 11 of the block .l0 where the end of said shaft is riveted. The portion of the shaft 22 immediateiy ahove the huh 15 is square in cross section, the shouiders at the lower part thereof hearing on the 25 which' has integrally formed therewithA on opposite sides, downwardly inchncd arms 26 which have the saine curvature as the upwardly inciined surfaces 16 on the porti .of the block 10. A coil. spring 27 surrfninding said shaft, shuts against the upper side of said connecting plate 25 and terminates at its upper end against the under side of a nut 28,vhich threadedly engages the upper portion 22"1L of said shaft 22. A cap ing the insulating lining 30 is ac seat upon the insulating block 10 ai nas an aperture 31 at the center thereof through w ich the portion221' of the shaft-2O projects. A cylindrical head 32 adapted to he engaged hy the ngers, carries the internally threaded sleeve 33, by means of which said head is secured to the portion 22a of the shaft\22. The under side of the head- 32 is provided. with a depression 34 in which is seatedl a coil spring 85. The other end of "the ,spring 35 hears against a washer 536i which is retained on the sieeve by outwardly turning the outer end of said sleeve. The spring 35 causes the washer 35 to hear against the upper Surface of the cap 29 and thereby serves to maintain the cap 29 in fixed position vertically with respect to vthe block 10 and also to prevent the reciproca* 'tion of the shaft 22 1n its hearings in case said shaft is not tightly titted'within the hub 15. rl`he cap 29 is provided with a raised portion 29 which extends around the washer 3G and thereby prevents lateral movement of the cap 29. The upper surface of the wall 12 has mounted thereon a lug 37 which engages a notch 3S in cap 29 and prevents rotation of said cap.

The operation of my device is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in Figs. Q and 3. it is apparent that the connecting member Q5, having the arms 26 contacting with the contact plates 21, will form an electrical connection between said plates and the binding posts connected therewith. It being desired to. turn otf the switch, the head 32 is gripped between the fingers and given a turn through 900 during which movement the connecting member 2G will reciprocate upwardly on the square portion v.of the shaft 22 unt-il theends of the arms Q6 reach the uppermost points of the shoulders 1G at which point the spring '27 will cause the member 25 to drop down vfardly with the arms 26 adjacent the shoulders 16" `inst named, until said arms rest upon the next succeeding pair of'inclined insulated surfaces 16, which lie between the contact plates 21. In this position it is apparent that the'arms Q6 of thefconnecting member '25 are. completely insulated from the contact plates 2l. and that the electrical connection is then broken. A backward or anti-clockwise turn of the shaft '22 cannot be made to re-form the electrical connection, because lthe arms .QG of the connecting member will abut against the vertically extending shoulders 16a. The electrical connection can be made again onlyby continuing to turn the `shaft in a clockwise direction b v means of the head 3Q. thereby causing the member to again reciprocate on the square portion ot' the shaft 22 until the arms 2G pass over the next succeeding pair of shoulders 1G". after which the spring Q7 will force the member '25 back into its normal position and cause the arms 26 to again contact with the contact plates 2l.

It is thus apparent that the electrical conne tion between the binding posts is made and broken. alternately by a continuous turning of the switch in the same direction. lt is further apparent that my improved switch is constructed ot' a veryA small number ot paris so that it may be constructed at small cost and may be easily repaired. For instance. it the connectingr plate Q3 becomes worn or damaged the uut- S may be readilyv removed from engagement with the portion B2i ot the shaft and the plate 25 withdrawn from position to be repaired or replaced. lf desiredthe contact plate '2l and binding post 1T may be made in a single. piece. as shown. in which case but three stampings of conducting material will be BEST AVAILABLE coe` neceary to form the connecting parts of the structure. .It may be desirable, at times, however, to form the binding post 1T and contact plate 21 of separate pieces of material joined together by means -of the screw Q0.

v From the foregoing description, it is apparent that l have described in detail one particular form of my invention, but it is obvious that thel principle thereof may be embodied in other structures without dcparting from the spirit ot my invention as embodied in the appended claims.

"hat T claim is:

l. ln a device of the class described, an

insulating base having an annular shoulder extending transversely theretoat its outer edge, an integral central hub projecting from said base within said annulaishoulder, said hub having a series kf'arcuate upwardly inclined surfaces formed thereon, each of said arcuate surfaces terminating in a shoulder adjacent the extremity of the adjacent arcuate surface, binding posts secured to said base andA extending beyond said annular shoulder, contact plates formed integrally with said binding posts and seated upon alternate diametrically opposite arcuate surfaces of Said hub, a shaft rotatably mounted in said hub concentric with said arcuate surfaces, a connecting plate re- .ciprocably and nonrotatably mounted on said shaft and havingrfiexible arcuate arms adapted to contact with said contact plates when the shaft is tuxned to proper position, a coiled spring mounted on said shaft and arranged to cause the connecting plate to engage said arcuate surfaces.' and a cap engaging said shaft and seating upon said annular shoulder.

2. In a device of the class described, a circular insulating base having an integral annular shoulder extending upwardly therefrom at its outer edge, a central hub formed integrally with the base and projecting therefrom within said annular shoulder, whereby an annular channel is formed between the shoulder and hub. said hub havving a series of arcuate upwardly inclined surfaces formed thereon each terminating in a shoulder at the extremity of the adjacent arcuate surface, said base having depressions formed in the lower wall of the channel, binding posts havingr terminals extending upwardly beyond said annular shoulder and having parts seating in said depressions to be engaged by screws passing through said base from the underside thereof, contact plates formed integral with the parts of the binding posts which seat in said depressions. said contact plates being arf ranged to seat upon alternate diametrically opposite arcuate surfaces, a connecting plate reciprocatingly and non-rotatably mounted on said shaft and having flexible arcuate :ums adapted to Contact with said Contact '-In testimony whereof, I have subscribed' plates when the shaft is turned to the proper my name. posltwn, n celled lp'ri'ng mounted on Saud Shaft `und al'langedto cause said connecting H-ARRX N' ALTER" l5 plate to engage said arcuate surfaces, and a W-tnesses'z' cap engaging sadyshaft and seating upon VGEO. L. WILKINSON,

'the upper surface of said annular shoulder. GLEN E. SMlTl-I. 

